Authorized Absences/ Permissive TDY Guide

Spiritual Fitness in the Military Services

The Department of War (DoW) places a high level of importance on spiritual fitness as a foundational pillar of Total Force Fitness and mission readiness, formally established in Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction 3405.01. This policy defines spiritual fitness as the ability to adhere to beliefs, principles, or values needed to persevere and prevail in accomplishing missions, directly enhancing resilience, moral strength, and the capacity to thrive under the extreme stresses of combat and service.

This emphasis has been elevated through recent reforms to the Chaplain Corps—eliminating insufficient secular approaches, restoring authentic religious ministry, and placing spiritual well-being on equal footing with physical and mental health. By strengthening spiritual fitness, the DoW hopes to ensure that service members are fully prepared in body, mind, and soul to execute complex missions with character, purpose, and unyielding resolve.

DoW Policy

"4.4. ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE.

a. Administrative absences are authorized for specific circumstances as explained in Paragraph 4.4.b. They may include permissive TDY travel to attend or participate in official activities to the benefit of the DoD’s mission. Unit commanders may grant an administrative absence for Service members on active duty orders for at least 30 days, regardless of their DoD Component, subject to meeting the specific terms, conditions, and qualifications of the specific absence. If it does not, the absence will be subject to normal leave and liberty procedures. Administrative absences that exceed 30 days will be controlled at the Military Service headquarters level."

(DoD Instruction 1327.06, August 7, 2025)

Service-Specific Policies

Army

Army Regulation 600-8-10 Leaves and Passes

Para 5-12. (Appropriate uses for administrative absence and leave of absence):

Explicitly authorizes attendance at professional meetings sponsored by recognized non-Federal technical, scientific, professional (for example, medical, legal, and ecclesiastical) societies and organizations.

Full text (5-12.c.(1)): “Attendance at meetings sponsored by recognized non-Federal technical, scientific, professional (for example, medical, legal, and ecclesiastical) societies and organizations. The meetings must have a direct relationship to the Soldier’s professional background or primary military duties and clearly enhance his or her value to the Army. Commanders in the grade of colonel (O-6) and above may approve up to 10 days for attendance at private organization meetings.”

Para 5-1 & 5-2: Administrative absence/leave of absence is non-chargeable and approved by commanders (O-5+ for most cases). It must not be granted if TDY is appropriate, and must benefit the Army (5-12.a.–b.).

Para 5-3: Rules for use require operational needs to be considered; travel clearance required for OCONUS.

Navy

MILPERSMAN 1050-270 ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCES

Para 3.a.(5) (General Purposes – Attendance at Meetings): Explicitly authorizes “professional ecclesiastical societies and organizations” when the meetings bear a direct relationship to the member’s professional background or primary military duties and clearly enhance the member’s value to the Service.

Para 1 & 2 (Definition & Policy): Administrative absence is for official-nature activities benefiting DON/DoD; COs approve (PERS-4 for >30 days); criteria narrowly construed.

Para 3 (overall): Lists other official purposes; ecclesiastical meetings fall under the professional-meetings category.

Marine Corps

MCO 1050.3J REGULATIONS FOR LEAVE, LIBERTY, AND ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE

Chapter 5, Para 1.c.(1) (Permissive TAD / Administrative Absence):

Specifically calls out “Attendance at meetings sponsored by recognized non-Federal technical, scientific, professional medical, professional dental, professional legal, and professional ecclesiastical societies and organizations, when the meetings bear a direct relationship to the member’s professional background or primary military duties and clearly enhance the Marine’s value to the Marine Corps.”

Chapter 5, Para 1.a. (Purpose): Administrative absence (also known as PTAD) is non-chargeable; must clearly fall within the criteria provided. If not, use normal leave or liberty. Commanders with standing authorization (or higher) approve; cannot be used in place of valid TAD or to accumulate leave.

Air Force/Space Force

DAFI 36-3003 MILITARY LEAVE PROGRAM

Chapter 4, Para 4.2.5: PTDY is the Air Force term for administrative absence (non-chargeable). Authorized only for the enumerated circumstances in Table 4.3.

Chapter 4, Table 4.3 (Authorizing Permissive Temporary Duty – PTDY), Rule 11 (page 50):

Explicitly authorizes “to lead religious education, spiritual renewal programs including chapel youth trips and summer camps, or to attend chapel leadership training programs authorized by either AF, Chief of Chaplains (AF/HC), Major Command/Field Operating Agency.”

Unit commanders may approve at their discretion.

Note: Pertains to all Airmen/Guardians regardless of rank or career field who voluntarily participate in Chaplain Corps mission programs.

How do I apply? (Step-by-step guide)

Step 1 - Make the Mission Connection

Military policy directly supports authorized absences for spiritually enriching activities when they are framed as official professional development that strengthens spiritual fitness and mission readiness. This is grounded in:

DoDI 1327.06 (Section 4.4) – Administrative absence for official-nature activities that benefit the Service/DoD.
CJCSI 3405.01 (Total Force Fitness Framework) – Spiritual fitness is defined as “the ability to adhere to beliefs, principles, or values needed to persevere and prevail in accomplishing missions.” It directly enhances resiliency, moral strength, stress mitigation, and unit cohesion.
Service-specific rules – These authorize attendance at professional ecclesiastical societies, spiritual retreats, religious education, spiritual renewal programs, or chapel leadership training.

Tip: Frame the activity as professional development that builds your ability to lead, counsel, or support others in high-stress environments.

Phrasing example:

“Attendance will strengthen my spiritual fitness per CJCSI 3405.01, enabling me to better adhere to core values under combat stress, improve moral resilience, and enhance unit cohesion—directly supporting mission readiness as prioritized by the Department of War.”

Step 2 - Secure a Strong Chaplain Endorsement Letter

This is one of your best tactics for success. Ask your military chaplain to write a short memo stating:

The event’s official value
How it advances spiritual fitness and chaplaincy mission
Direct benefit to the command (e.g., “will improve the service member's capacity to foster spiritual readiness within the unit”)
Include the chaplain’s contact info and rank for credibility.

Step 3 - Draft a Request Memo

Use your service-specific memorandum format to draft a formal request to utilize your service's authorized absence policy. Be sure to include:

Dates, location, and cost (member-funded)
Exact policy citation for your Service
Mission-readiness paragraph (from Step 1)
Chaplain endorsement as Enclosure 1
Statement that no TDY funds are required and this will not interfere with mission

In your request memo, make sure to directly link the event to spiritual fitness per CJCSI 3405.01 and current DoW emphasis on spiritual fitness.

Step 4 - Route Through Chain of Command

Submit via your immediate supervisor to your approval authority (approval authority varies: usually O-5/O-6 commander).

For longer events, or unusual cases, expect higher level of review.

Be ready to brief verbally: “This directly supports Total Force Fitness and mission accomplishment by increasing my personal spiritual readiness.”

Pro Tips for Success

Submit 30–60 days in advance (earlier is better).

Emphasize “official nature” and “benefit to the Service”—don't frame it as personal worship because that is a completely separate issue covered under a different DoW policy (DoDI 1300.17).

Use the current DoW emphasis on spiritual fitness as a tailwind: leadership wants this.

Be innovative in your memo: use an anecdote about how stronger spiritual fitness helped you (or a peer) in a past high-stress situation.